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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26962279">Going Green</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/rebelrsr/pseuds/rebelrsr'>rebelrsr</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Going Green [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Supergirl (TV 2015)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - No Powers, Enemies to Lovers, F/F</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 19:47:56</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,292</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26962279</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/rebelrsr/pseuds/rebelrsr</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Dr. Astra In-Ze is a thorn in Alex Danvers' side. Will Alex be able to get rid of the other woman? Or will the situation demand they work together?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Astra/Alex Danvers</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Going Green [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1973251</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>33</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>General Danvers &amp; Supercat Week 5</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Going Green</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Son of a <em>bitch</em>!” Alex’s travel tumbler bounced off the center console, hot coffee spilling from the tiny drinking fissure and staining the leather passenger seat. Her hands tightened on the steering wheel as she inched the car forward.</p><p>Shouts and chanting drowned out the normal purr of the engine.</p><p><em>DanversTech Fossil Fools!</em> The sign banged against the driver’s side window. Dozens of protesters with similarly decorated placards ringed her car and stretched in a line blocking the gates to the employee parking area. Men and women without signs pounded on the hood of her Mercedes.</p><p>Inch by hard-won inch, though, Alex nosed through the throng. Uniformed security guards shoved at protestors. Finally! Pressing a little harder on the gas pedal, Alex used their hard work to rush right up to the gates.</p><p>The car rocked as she slammed on the breaks. Holding her breath, Alex watched the car’s bumper come into contact with the legs of a woman who’d magically appeared as the rest of the crowd scattered.</p><p>Brown eyes, hard as polished moonstone, held Alex in thrall. She barely registered the new swell of vitriolic chanting or the drum of hands that had now moved to the trunk of her precious car (a gift from her father when she’d gotten her PhD).</p><p>Flannel-clad arms crossed over her chest, the woman stared imperiously through the windshield. Her lips moved.</p><p>Alex squinted, as if that would help her hear. “What?” she mumbled in response. Everyone else screamed until the words got lost in the sheer jumble of verbal hate.</p><p>The stern line of the woman’s mouth tilted into a smile. She spoke again. <em>…storage… </em>something<em>…wells…</em>something something…<em>water</em></p><p>Her mind scrambled to make sense of the silent, yet broken, conversation. She never put the pieces together. Guards dragged the woman away, and muscle memory pressed Alex’s foot down on the accelerator. The car shot across the last few feet through the gates. They slammed closed behind her, leaving only a glimpse of white-striped brown hair and soft blue flannel.</p><p>Ten minutes later, Alex strode onto the executive floor of DanversTech. Closed doors marked most of the director-level offices. She’d approved the time-off requests months ago as the scheduled launch date for the company’s latest epoxy resin loomed. Only one office blazed with lights.</p><p>“Hey,” she greeted, leaning against the door jamb.</p><p>Hank glanced over the top of his array of monitors. “Good morning.” His deep voice filled the room yet didn’t chase away the anxiety skittering along her nerves. “I’m glad you made it in safely.”</p><p>“I might have a few new dents in the Merc, but they’re just sign-waving tree huggers,” Alex responded. She moved farther into the office and dropped into one of the comfortable chairs in front of Hank’s massive desk.</p><p>“More than that, I’m afraid.” She was back up and around the desk at a wave of his fingers.</p><p>Rather than reports on the latest R&amp;D developments or profit and loss projections, each of the four monitors arrayed in front of Hank’s keyboard displayed local newsfeeds of the protestors. One immediately caught Alex’s attention.</p><p>“Dr. In-Ze, why are you here today?” The well-dressed newscaster was a stark contrast to the woman’s threadbare jeans and blue flannel work shirt.</p><p>Not that the dichotomy appeared to bother Doctor In-Ze. A <em>doctor</em>. “That is a very stupid question.” Brown eyes glaring into the camera – Alex’s breath froze in her lungs – the woman began to lecture her audience. “Polymers, such as the one used by DanversTech for its latest ‘contribution,’” the verbal air quotes were easy to hear, “creates non-biodegradable waste.”</p><p>Alex listened as the doctor provided a very detailed and scientifically accurate description of the dangers of most industrial-use polymers. Their polymer, though, didn’t have the same environmental impact. Alex had made sure of that. Not just because it was the right thing to do, but because it had been her father’s driving philosophy. DanversTech was a beacon for environmentally friendly products.</p><p>“She’s going to be a problem,” Hank muttered. He tapped a key and the newsfeeds disappeared. Reports, emails, and internal security camera feeds replaced the sight of protestors and Dr. In-Ze.</p><p>Moving away, Alex caught the subject line of an email out of the corner of her eye. <em>Groundwater Contamination Report</em>. “I’m going to work in the lab today,” she announced. It was the only reason she’d bothered to come into the office. With most of the employees and staff off because of the anticipated protest, Alex would have privacy and a chance to work on some pet projects without interruption.</p><p>“Why don’t you go home?” Hank called after her. “Take a few days off. You’ve earned it.”</p><p>Alex waved a hand in answer, bypassing her own massive office in favor of the stairs. Her sneakers squeaked against the concrete as she jogged down ten floors to the smaller labs. Her keycard opened the door from the stairwell as well the lab that she’d claimed as her own.</p><p>The counters were a mess of beakers, glass tubing, and paperwork. Alex might favor logical thinking and scientific approaches, but that didn’t extend to her workspace. She donned her lab coat and safety goggles, pulled on a pair of nitrile gloves, and prepared to resume testing her latest project: a chemical that eroded plastic.</p><p>Time passed in a blur. Alex missed lunch, only stopping when she’d completed the last of the work she’d planned for the day. Her back reminded her she wasn’t getting any younger and her stomach growled.</p><p>She eyed the paperwork piled on her desk.</p><p>It could wait. Hank was right. She’d been burning the midnight oil lately. One early day wouldn’t hurt. She hung up her coat and put her glasses on her desk. Retraced her steps to the stairwell. Alex trotted down the stairs at a slower pace. Her mind no longer raced, demanding her body follow suit. Working in the lab was her happy place. The place where the stress of running the R&amp;D department for DanversTech slipped away.</p><p>The security guard waved at her as she exited the stairs and headed for the door to the parking lot. No shouts or protest signs marred her exodus. The Merc beeped when Alex depressed the locking mechanism on her keyless remote.</p><p>“Did you look into the damage to the groundwater?” a voice asked out of nowhere.</p><p>Alex dropped her keys, spun around, and raised her hands in an uncoordinated attempt to protect herself.</p><p>An eyebrow rose in response. “Lost in thought. Ms. Danvers?”</p><p>“It’s Dr. Danvers,” Alex protested automatically. Too many of her male counterparts “forgot” she was their equal – or their superior.</p><p>“Doctor. My apologies.” Was that the hint of a grin?</p><p>Temper flaring, Alex squared her shoulders and lifted her chin. “You’re wrong! Our products are designed to be environmentally safe!” Despite her passion, her voice came out high and tight. Alex flushed, feeling like a child confronting an adult. “How did you get in here?” That was better. More volume and confidence. “I’m calling security!”</p><p>So much for reclaiming her adult status.</p><p>The hint of a smile disappeared. “I’m sorry if I scared you, Dr. Danvers. It wasn’t my intention. I was hoping we could talk without the distraction of the protestors and the media.”</p><p>“We have nothing to talk about.”</p><p>“I knew your father.” Alex froze as she bent to pick up her keys. “He and I worked together on some of your company’s earliest products,” Doctor In-Ze said softly. “Jeremiah was an amazing scientist, and I respected everything he stood for.”</p><p>Then why was she here? Alex grabbed her keys and stood. “You respected him, but you told the media that we poisoned the local groundwater! That using Plasteen had far-reaching ecological impacts!” Now her voice rang like a bell in the empty parking lot.</p><p>Head tilting to one side, Dr. In-Ze reply remained level and calm. “Dr. Danvers…Alex, you’re the Vice President of Research and Development. Surely, you’ve seen the recent groundwater test results. Your father bragged about your skills as a biochemical engineer and your dedication to keeping the company green. I cannot imagine that you truly believe that Plasteen is harmless.”</p><p>Their standoff was interrupted. “Dr. Danvers!” Two security guards ran up.</p><p>“I’m fine,” she told them, locking eyes with Dr. In-Ze. “Please detain this trespasser until the police arrive.” Alex refused to acknowledge how much the disappointment in those brown eyes bothered her as she turned away and walked to her car.</p>
<hr/><p>Three hours and a six-pack of beer later, Alex reluctantly answered her phone. “Hi, Mom.”</p><p>“Alexandra! I’ve been trying all day to get ahold of you.”</p><p>Twisting off the cap of another beer, Alex stared into the shadows surrounding the desk in her home office. “I was working.”</p><p>Disapproval rolled in a wave through the speakerphone. “You’re <em>always</em> working.” Eliza Danvers paused, but Alex didn’t take the bait. She’d lived a lifetime as a failure in her mother’s eyes. “I saw the news. The protests are getting worse.”</p><p>Yes, Alex silently agreed. For every product launch. For every new rumor that DanversTech was secretly dumping chemical waste into the local lakes and rivers. For every investigative report that the company had buried barrels of waste in the ground and it was leaking into the groundwater.</p><p>She’d been silent so long that Eliza had continued. “Are you sure there isn’t some grain of truth to all the reports? I saw Dr. In-Ze’s interview. She and Jeremiah were good friends. He was her mentor when she finished her doctoral thesis. He wanted to hire her when DanversTech opened, but she turned him down.”</p><p>“Why?” Alex asked.</p><p>“Oh, well, I’m not sure. Your father thought she walked on water – the same way he did you. She was more interested in environmental sciences.” Eliza changed topics between one breath and the next. “Have you talked to your sister? She’s doing so well at CatCo! They promoted her to junior reporter. Kara said she even has her own office now.”</p><p><em>I’ve had a corner office for years, </em>Alex wanted to shout. She downed half the bottle in one long pull. “I’ve been busy. I’ll call her this week,” she promised.</p><p>The call ended an interminable time later. The sun was down. The shadows now shrouded the entire room in darkness.</p><p>Alex leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes. Her mind replayed the day in sound bites.</p><p>
  <em>Dr. In-Ze held Alex in place. Alex watched her lips as they wrapped around words she couldn’t hear. She recognized only “wells”, “storage,” and “water.”</em>
</p><p>Given In-Ze’s comments later, she’d probably tried to feed Alex the same lie about Plasteen and how the company had polluted the groundwater. Her mind wouldn’t let go of the memory, though. She was a researcher, after all. Puzzles were to Alex like catnip was to Kara’s raggedy old tortie Streaky.</p><p>She had to have an answer.</p><p>There shouldn’t even be a puzzle. Alex had seen all the environmental test results. They were still in her emails, filed away on her own private server in case anyone tried to sue them later. She’d read every line. Examined every bit of data.</p><p>
  <em>Hank’s screen filled with graphs and charts. An email from Eric D’Amato, the new Director of R&amp;D. A friend of Hank’s. Alex remembered it had been about groundwater contamination.</em>
</p><p>There was no way the company, her father’s company, was doing anything illegal or unethical. Every employee had been handpicked by Jeremiah and had been with the company since its inception.</p><p>They <em>had</em> been. Alex frowned. Many of the senior executives and research team leaders had retired or left since Hank had taken over as CEO. A seed of doubt sprouted. Alex set her latest beer aside and used her laptop to log onto the company’s servers.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>“What were you thinking?” Hank stormed into Alex’s office.</p><p>She peered at him in faux confusion. “I think a lot of things. It’s why I’m your VP of R&amp;D.”</p><p>He didn’t like her flippant response. Alex wondered how humorless Hank was and how he seemed to loom over her desk whenever he took her to task for something he didn’t like. “You’re listed as the Hiring Manager for this…this…” Apparently so angry he couldn’t put words together, Hank slapped a manila folder onto Alex’s desk.</p><p>A picture (unflattering, like all employee photos) of Dr. Astra In-Ze was clipped to the opened file. “Did you know Dad planned to hire her right out of her post-doc studies? He thought she’d be perfect for DanversTech. She’s an expert in environmental studies. Dad wanted her to keep us all honest. You know, make sure we didn’t lose sight of how our products impacted people and the Earth.”</p><p>“She’s an ecoterrorist!” he bellowed.</p><p>Through the glass lining one wall of her office, Alex saw several of the executive assistants turn to stare in their direction. “She hasn’t blown up anything in decades, Hank. I checked.” Exhaustively. She’d even called Kara and asked her to use CatCo resources to ensure Astra didn’t have any skeletons in her closet that would haunt Alex and ruin all her plans. “Besides, hiring Dr. In-Ze means the media should leave us alone for a while.”</p><p>As Hank glared at her, Alex heard the elevator ding and checked her watch. Right on time. “I invited her up to meet you.”</p><p>Someone rapped on the door.</p><p>“That’s probably her.”</p><p>“What project are you putting her on?” Hank might need dental work if he kept griding his teeth. “HR said you hadn’t told them what opening she was filling.”</p><p>Alex stood and moved toward the door. “I created a new position. Dr. In-Ze’s now the Team Leader for Project Oversight. Since she’s been so publicly vocal about our environmental policy violations, she’s the perfect person to verify that DanversTech remains dedicated to staying green the way Dad intended. It’s not like we have anything to hide.”</p><p>She opened the door. “Good morning, Dr. Danvers. I am here for my new hire orientation.”</p><p>“Perfect. Before we go, I’d like you to meet our CEO, Hank Henshaw. Hank, I’m sure you recognize Dr. In-Ze.” Alex stepped aside, allowing Astra to enter the office.</p><p>Hank’s face was set in forbidding lines. Alex watched his forearm flex as he took Astra’s hand. “Doctor.”</p><p>Astra didn’t react to Hank’s posturing. Alex had to clear her throat to avoid an inappropriate chuckle. “I remember when Jeremiah mentioned bringing you on board,” Astra said. Alex’s admiration for the other woman grew at the simple yet effective way she let Hank know about her relationship with Jeremiah and how unimpressive she found Hank’s background.</p><p>“I’ll talk to you later, Alex.” Hank stalked from the room, leaving Alex and Astra alone.</p><p>“About the tour?” Alex said in his wake.</p><p>Astra rolled her eyes. “I do not need a tour, Dr. Danvers.”</p><p>Baring her teeth in a mocking smile, Alex waved a hand at the door. They were performing for an audience, after all. “You’re still getting one, Dr. In-Ze.”</p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>The strain of having Astra in the building and of dealing with Hank’s increasingly unstable temper wore Alex down. She spent her working hours listening to everyone from her directors to the newly hired interns complain about Astra’s presence.</p><p>
  <em>“She questioned my results!” Sharon Guy, one of the senior scientists assigned to Special Projects, slammed her hands onto Alex’s desk. “No one does that!”</em>
</p><p>An hour later, Eric D’Amato had oozed into Alex’s office. He’d intimated that several more of the R&amp;D team were threatening to quit. <em>That </em>led to a series of HR-led focus groups with a thinly disguised scheme to discredit Astra.</p><p>It had been touch and go for almost a week after that. Hank had demanded Alex personally fire Astra. “No. Have you noticed the good press we’re getting?” Alex had countered. “Having Dr. In-Ze here makes us look good. My team will just have to deal with her less-than-friendly personality,” the woman took “brusque” to a whole new level, “and her questions. It’s important that we are completely transparent, Hank! Dad’s probably rolling over in his grave at the way the public and even the scientific community looks at DanversTech.”</p><p>Now, at the end of another terrible day, Alex leaned back in her corner booth with a sigh. Loud music? Check. An open tab with the bar? Check. A frosty beer and a tumbler of whiskey? Double check.</p><p>The Wild Turkey was smooth yet still burned in the best way as Alex tossed it down. She let the heat slide down her throat and settle in her stomach. Not enough to alleviate the stress of the day, but a solid first step. </p><p>She hadn’t yet reached for her beer when Astra slid onto the bench seat across the table. “Alex.”</p><p>Alex gripped the edge of the table. “You shouldn’t be here.”</p><p>“We must talk. Now.”</p><p>More determined than ever to get black-out drunk, Alex ignored the urgent command. She guzzled the beer and waved it (now empty) at a barback. “Make an appointment with my EA on Monday.”</p><p>In a startlingly quick move, Astra yanked the bottle from Alex’s hand. It slammed onto the table. “Your father would be ashamed of you, Alexandra Danvers.”</p><p>The name. The tone. They flayed Alex open – and pushed every button she had. Alex was on her feet in a flash. Hitting Astra felt right. She swung again, feeling an ache in her knuckles as her punch landed.</p><p>Rage and adrenaline narrowed her field of vision. She ignored the shouts around them in favor of beating years of bottled anger out on Astra.</p><p>Unfortunately, she didn’t have the chance to do more than cock her arm before Astra rose from her seat. She grabbed Alex, somehow twisting her right arm behind her back until Alex rose onto her toes to take the pressure off her shoulder. “Enough! I am tired of your blindness to the facts and your childish tantrums.”</p><p>Astra shoved Alex in front of her and out of the bar.</p><p>The cold air slapped Alex in the face and sapped some of her fury. “Let me go,” she snapped.</p><p>“Not yet.” Still controlling their path, Astra steered them to the passenger side of a battered pickup. “It’s unlocked. Get in.” She released Alex’s arm but remained in her personal space. “Now, Alex! There are things we need to discuss. Things that I have found.”</p><p>If she hadn’t needed the information so badly, Alex would have refused. She climbed reluctantly into the cab and sat with her arms crossed, glowering at the dashboard.</p><p>Astra climbed in next to her. They sat in silence for several moments, until the windows began to fog. Then Astra started the engine and pulled out of the parking lot. “There are two sets of groundwater reports. One that you received, and one sent only to Hank Henshaw.”</p><p>“One’s a fake.” Ice formed beneath Alex’s skin. She couldn’t move. She couldn’t breathe.</p><p>“Yes.” Astra didn’t bother to soften the blow. “The one sent to you is a well-crafted forgery. Your sister’s friend at CatCo is a magician and discovered a way to prove the email had been altered.”</p><p>Alex’s stomach lurched. “Pull over. Now!”</p><p>The truck was still skidding to a halt when she opened the door and tumbled out, vomiting helplessly.</p><p>She’d defended the company over and over. Ignored the rumors and reports and trusted her employees to do what was right, rather than profitable. Her legs buckled. On her hands and knees, Alex felt the ground waver.</p><p>Strong arms wrapped around her and cradled her against a warm check. “No, Alex. No. It is not so desperate as you believe.” Astra picked Alex up and settled her into the truck. Her hands remained on Alex the entire time, providing an anchor. Giving Alex something to focus on. “We have the evidence we need, and I know that you will be able to rebuild and grow your father’s legacy.”</p><p>“I can’t.” Alex could hear her mother’s voice in a montage of conversations over the years.</p><p>
  <em>“Why don’t you pick a different major, Alexandra? You don’t have the grades to get into a good biochemical program.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Look at your sister! She’s out there meeting people and enjoying life. What are <strong>you</strong> doing? Burying yourself in work. When was the last time you went on a date?”</em>
</p><p>She didn’t want to imagine Eliza’s disdain once she learned that Alex had allowed Jeremiah’s dream to tarnish.</p><p>Astra cupped her chin. “You can, Alex. Jeremiah was right when he told me you were the best and brightest mind he’d ever met.” She grinned when Alex scowled. “So fierce. Save that aggression and determination for your battle with Hank and his cronies.”</p><p>Hank. Alex’s hands clenched into fists.</p><p>“Your fists are weapons, indeed, Slugger.” Tilting her head, Astra displayed developing bruises on her cheek and around her right eye. “But you will not win this fight in the ring. I will take you home and we will make a plan.”</p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>An ulcer. Alex definitely had an ulcer. Her stomach burned and bile coated her throat.</p><p>Her phone buzzed. <em>He took the bait</em>.</p><p>Four simple words.</p><p>Words that could make or break DanversTech – and Alex. She wiped sweating palms on her pants. If things worked as planned, Hank would head straight to Alex’s office. There were cameras and microphones positioned around the room.</p><p>She didn’t glance up as footsteps sounded outside. She tightened her muscles and gripped her dwindling courage in mental hands.</p><p>“Alex!”</p><p>“Is something wrong?” Alex marveled at how calm and casual she sounded. “You look upset.” She followed the rough script she, Kara, and Astra had developed over months of setting the stage.</p><p>Hank slammed the door behind him. Like well-dressed prairie dogs, every EA in the warren of desks outside her office popped up to peer over their monitors. “What the fuck are you playing at?”</p><p>Alex didn’t have to feign her irritation at his question. She put both hands flat on her desk to hide how they trembled and to make sure she didn’t lunge over the desk and punch him. “Watch your tone, Hank. You don’t get to speak to me like that.”</p><p>He reared back in surprise.</p><p>“I don’t have any idea what’s got you all twisted up.” Alex pretended to glance at her calendar. “I’ve got a meeting with D’Amato in fifteen minutes to go over the budget. Costs on several of our biggest projects are soaring, and his requisition requests… Well, you can sit in on the conversation if you want.”</p><p>“I don’t give a damn about the budget.” He’d clearly recovered. Hank pointed a blunt, thick finger at Alex. “You’re behind this. You and that bitch you hired!”</p><p>This time, Alex let him vent. She needed him to confess his sins on tape.</p><p>“Do you have any idea how much money I’ll lose because of you?” Hank picked up a chair and threw it across the office. “All because you couldn’t let go of your father’s idea that the fucking tree huggers were more important than getting rich!”</p><p>It was hard to talk with her blood pounding in her ears. “What do you mean? It’s not like the protesters were right. I’ve got all the reports. We’re green, Hank! Even Dr. In-Ze hasn’t found anything.”</p><p>“We’re not green, you stupid bitch! Not since your old man died.” Hank’s laugh reminded Alex of Vincent Price’s cackling at the end of <em>Thriller</em>. “You’re as blind as he was. Convinced you could make the world a better place.”</p><p>“What did you do?”</p><p>Hank slowly calmed as he paced to the very edge of Alex’s desk. “What your father wouldn’t.”</p><p>She couldn’t let Hank get away with his crimes. She needed more details. “You lied about the company being green. How? I have the reports,” Alex repeated.</p><p>“You have what I wanted you to have. But you figured it out, didn’t you?” Hank was close. Closer than Alex had realized. He yanked her out of her chair. “You thought I wouldn’t notice you snooping in the server?</p><p>“You’re too late, little Alex. All those reports, the real ones, showing the dump sites and the contamination…they all lead to you now. Doctor Alex Danvers, pretending to care so much about the Earth while she makes billions from cost-cutting measures that pollute the environment. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.”</p><p>They had him. “I’m done,” she announced in a prearranged signal.</p><p>Uniformed and armed EPA Special Agents burst into the office.</p><p>In a daze, Alex watched them read Hank his rights, handcuff him, and escort him out.</p><p>“It’s over, Slugger.” Astra crouched in front of Alex’s chair. “You did it. You won.” Her hands burned like brands as she cradled Alex’s. “Jeremiah would be so proud of you.”</p><p>The words woke Alex from her fugue state. She took a deep, sobbing breath and threw herself at Astra. A chuckle rumbled under her cheek where it pressed to Astra’s chest.</p><p>“I’m proud of you, too, my darling.” Managing to get both of them upright, Astra tenderly wiped away Alex’s tears. “So brave. So brilliant. So beautiful.”</p><p>Even as a blush heated her cheeks, Alex pulled Astra in close. “I love you.” She sealed the declaration with a kiss that started out tentative before turning into a conflagration as months of stress and sexual frustration exploded between them. Alex gripped Astra’s shirt, one leg wrapping around Astra’s.</p><p>“Alex! It worked… Oh my god!” Kara’s squeal could have broken glass. “My eyes! My eyes! I can’t unsee that!”</p><p>“Have I mentioned that I love you, too?” Astra sighed. “Your sister, though…”</p>
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